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VANCOUVER, Wash. — The Portland State women's tennis team clinched its first-ever berth into the Big Sky Championships with a 4-0 victory over Idaho State Saturday at Club Green Meadows.
 
Saturday's win gives the Vikings (8-6, 5-3 Big Sky) the fifth conference win they needed to clinch their first-ever berth into the playoffs, and vaults them up to fourth in the Big Sky, ahead of Northern Colorado, which finished the regular season 6-4 in the conference.
 
"It's a big accomplishment for the girls. It's what they set out to do," PSU head coach Jay Sterling said. "They've worked really hard for this. They absolutely, 100 percent deserve this."
 
The Vikings made quick work of the Bengals (6-13, 3-7 Big Sky) in clinching their spot in the conference championships Saturday.
 
The Bengals were playing without sophomore Kasey Bacon, an All-Big Sky honorable mention selection last season, after Bacon was forced to retire from her singles match against Weber State Friday. That left the Bengals a player short, forcing them to forfeit No. 3 doubles and No. 6 singles.
 
Given a leg up to start the match, the Vikings took full advantage, as they won convincingly at No. 1 doubles to wrap up the doubles point, then only dropped two games combined in wins at No. 1 and 3 singles. Those wins gave the Vikings everything they need, and the match was called at 4-0.
 
Juniors Dané Vorster and Megan Govi led the Vikings to the doubles-point victory, as they beat Idaho State's Laura Theus and Marian Tangarife, 8-1, at No. 1 doubles. The win was Vorster and Govi's fifth conference doubles win this season, tying the most by a PSU doubles team in a single season, after Govi and sophomore Kelsey Frey won five Big Sky the last season.
 
Vorster continued that momentum into singles, as well, as she beat Tangarife 6-0, 6-1 at No. 1. The win snapped a tough stretch for Vorster in singles, as she had lost three of her past four singles matches going into the weekend.
 
"I really wanted to win today so I could get my game in focus ahead of the conference championships," Vorster said. "I was just a little bit more relaxed today and that helped my focus and let me just go after it."
 
Freshman Sabina-Elena Preda matched Vorster with a 6-0, 6-1 win of her own, too, as she beat Idaho State's Madelyn Weltzin at No. 3 singles. Preda has now won three straight singles matches — the longest active win streak on the team — and has only dropped three combined games in those three wins.
 
"I feel really great on the court right now," Preda said. "I just play my game, and have a lot of fun. I just feel great. It feels great to win."
 
Preda's win also clinched the dual for the Vikings, leaving the matches at No. 2, 4 and 5 singles unfinished. The Vikings were in position to win a couple more singles matches when the dual was called, as senior Marina Todd was leading 6-0, 4-1 in her match against Idaho State's Svenja Tegtmeier at No. 2 singles, while Govi was leading 6-3, 2-2 in her match against Idaho State's Wiebke Boeckmann at No. 4 singles. Additionally, Preda and Todd were leading 7-4 in their match against Tegtmeier and Boeckmann at No. 2 doubles when that match was called after Vorster and Govi wrapped up the doubles point for the Vikings.
 
The Vikings now head into their regular-season finale against Eastern Washington tomorrow, Sunday, April 20, on a three-match win streak. Another win against the Eagles would clinch the fourth seed for the Vikings in the Big Sky Championships, where they'd play either Northern Colorado or Montana State.
 
"Not only do we want to get to the conference championships, we want to do something when we're there," Sterling said. "That begins with the match tomorrow against Eastern Washington."
 
The Vikings' match against the Eagles starts at 10 a.m. (PT) at Club Green Meadows in Vancouver, Wash.


Portland State 4, Idaho State 0
Apr 19, 2014 at Vancouver, Wash. (Club Green Meadows) 

Singles competition

1. VORSTER, Dane (PSU) def. TANGARIFE, Marian (ISU) 6-0, 6-1

2. TODD, Marina (PSU) vs. TEGTMEIER, Svenja (ISU) 6-0, 4-1, unfinished

3. PREDA, Sabina-Elena (PSU) def. WELTZIN, Madelyn (ISU) 6-0, 6-1

4. GOVI, Megan (PSU) vs. BOECKMANN, Wiebke (ISU) 6-3, 2-2, unfinished

5. MCDONALD, Alexa (PSU) vs. THEUS, Laura (ISU) 2-6, 3-2, unfinished

6. TERAKAWA, Ayaka (PSU) def. No player (ISU), by default

Doubles competition

1. VORSTER, Dane/GOVI, Megan (PSU) def. THEUS, Laura/TANGARIFE, Marian (ISU) 8-1

2. TODD, Marina/PREDA, Sabina-Elena (PSU) vs. TEGTMEIER, Svenja/BOECKMANN, Wiebke (ISU) 7-4, unfinished

3. MCDONALD, Alexa/TERAKAWA, Ayaka (PSU) def. No player/No player (ISU), by default

Match Notes

Idaho State 6-13, 3-7 BSC

Portland State 8-6, 5-3 BSC

Order of finish: Doubles (3,1); Singles (6,1,3)